Even The Seasons Change
by nealcaff
Summary: Sequel to We Call It Chemistry. Our two boys are seniors! Follow them through their ups and downs of  a very busy senior year. Will the weight of picking colleges be too much for them? Will they survive through high school? Rated for smut in future chaps.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello wonderful readers! We're baaaaaccckkk! And sorry we're late! The holiday season had us both extremely busy with hardly any time at the computer at all. Time for Kurt and Blaine to begin their senior year. It's going to have its ups and downs, but we hope you like what we have in store for them. The first few chapters are going to be fairly short and plotless but we have MAJOR plans for them, like huge. Soooo stick around! **

**The only Glee we got for Christmas/Allie's birthday, was both seasons and the movie on DVD, so we still don't own anything. **

**We hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Without further interruption, we give you Even the Seasons Change!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Kurt had been sitting at his kitchen table for the last fifteen minutes staring at the envelope laying there. It had arrived in the mail this morning and he'd been too busy packing and being nervous to look at it. But, he was supposed to be meeting Blaine at school in a half hour and his car was already packed and good to go. He knew he had to open it before he left. Taking a deep breath, he nervously picked up the letter and thumbed the Dalton Academy insignia in the top left corner. Flipping the envelope over, he tore it open slowly and pulled the letter out.

_Dear Mr. Hummel,_

_ It is with great pleasure that I am able to inform you that you have been selected as one of the Warbler Council members for this upcoming school year. After much deliberation between myself and the other two remaining members, we have decided that you are the best person for this position. Please get in contact with your fellow council members David Thompson and Thad Williams to discuss specifics. Congratulations, again._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Mark Johnson  
>Supervisor, Dalton Academy Warblers<em>

Kurt squealed and yelled in joy as he read the letter, quickly stuffing it in his messenger bag and grabbing his keys out of the bowl in the hallway. He was just about to swing the front door open when his dad came rushing in.

"Kurt?" his dad asked, concern lacing his tone, "What's all the yelling about? I heard you all the way from the garage."

"Dad! Guess what! I got elected to be on the council of the Warbler's this year! Can you believe it? Oh my gosh, it's such an honor, I'm just so excited they picked me!" He rushed out, grabbing his dad and crushing him in a suffocating hug.

Burt pulled away, chuckling. "God, that's great, son. I'm just glad it wasn't anything bad!"

"Nope! Best news I've gotten all summer. Anyway, I have to run. I promised Blaine I'd help him get situated in his new room and I'm already late! I'll call you later on tonight. Bye, dad! Love you!" Kurt yelled, as he practically ran to his car, ecstatic to tell Blaine the good news.

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><p>Blaine huffed as he placed the last duffel bag onto his bed. He finally had dragged everything out of his Jeep. He looked around the box-filled room, completely alone, and sighed. Sophia had wanted to help him move in, but she couldn't take off of work. He didn't have a roommate yet. And Kurt was supposed to be helping him, but he was nowhere to be found.<p>

Frowning, Blaine checked his watch for what had to be the hundredth time that hour. He scrolled through his sent messages to Kurt, making sure that his text detailing when he'd be moving in and his room number had sent. According to his Blackberry, the message had been delivered three hours ago, and Kurt should have been there approximately...fifty-six minutes earlier. It wasn't like Kurt to be that late. A few fashionable minutes were one thing, but nearly an hour was considered rude in Kurt's book, and Blaine knew his boyfriend would die before being a hypocrite.

Blaine felt himself inadvertently get worried. Opening up his call list, he hovered over Kurt's name and hit send.

The second the phone started dialing, he heard the door behind him swing open. Tossing his phone on the bed, he saw Kurt finally make an appearance.

"There you are! Baby, I was so worried about you! What happened?"

Blaine took a step backward. He couldn't accurately read Kurt's expression. His boyfriend looked anxious and overwhelmed, but excited too. Kind of like he was going to throw up, but was it from something good or bad?

"Kurt?" he asked again. Kurt sat down in the chair besides Blaine.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to get all my emotions under control. It's just-oh my God, Blaine!"

"What is it, Kurt? What's going on?"

Kurt sucked in a deep breath.

"Well, I was getting ready to leave when I noticed there was a letter from Dalton for me on the table. Like, official crest, fancy envelope, swirly calligraphy. Anyway, I was staring at the thing for like, twenty minutes because I was too afraid to open it. I didn't wanna know what was in it, if I was in trouble or getting kicked out or what."

Blaine swallowed hard.

"So finally I open it and my dad comes running inside because apparently I was screaming, and-"

"Kurt!"

"I'm getting there! Anyway, I'm not in trouble or anything, at all, Blaine. I'm replacing Wes on the Warbler Council!"

Blaine's eyes widened.

"So that's why I was late, I had to go talk to Thad and David quickly to discuss when we'd meet to figure out about rehearsals and stuff, I knew it was a possibility but I didn't want get anyone's hopes up about it, especially my own, and apparently Thad and David recommended me to the head of extracurriculars and to our advisor and it got decided like, last week! I'm a council member, Blaine!" Kurt squealed eagerly.

"It's just going to be so much time and responsibility and power and I'm so excited about it, it's all I've ever really wanted since I became a Warbler! I can't wait until our first rehearsal, it's going to be so amazing!"

Blaine smiled widely, placing an arm on each of Kurt's shoulders to help him stop bouncing. It wouldn't do to disturb the neighbors below him on the first day. Especially since they'd probably have plenty of other noise violations this year, considering Kurt's choice to remain with Finn and Blaine's current single room status.

He pulled Kurt in for a quick hug and kiss to congratulate him. They broke apart, grinning, and Blaine motioned to the piles.

"Now that you've finally arrived, oh esteemed leader, would you mind lowering yourself to help out this poor civilian?" He asked, bending over to pick up a box.

Kurt smirked, smacking Blaine lightly on the ass.

"You'd better behave yourself, Anderson, or there will be more where that came from."

"Promise?" Blaine replied, setting the box down on his desk. "I do love a man in a position of authority. Something about all that power, it really gets me going."

"Well, if you don't keep it together at Warbler rehearsal," Kurt said, tracing his fingers down Blaine's arm, "I might have to schedule some _extra practice_."

"I think I would benefit greatly from those," Blaine grinned. Kurt's fingertips continued moving south until they reached his hands, tickled his thighs up to his hips, then slowly crossed the stretch of skin under his bellybutton. Blaine groaned automatically.

"Yes, I think you might need some one-on-one training, Anderson," Kurt smiled, watching his boyfriend's eyes darken. Blaine swallowed and lightly pushed Kurt down to sit on the bed.

"How about we christen this dorm room?" he suggested, already playing with the buttons on Kurt's shirt.

"How about we unpack first?" Kurt replied, leaning in for a kiss. "Besides, there's no way I'm laying down on this mattress without sheets. Do you have any idea how many sweaty guys have slept-or worse-on this mattress?"

Blaine sighed, gesturing toward his half-hard cock. But Kurt just stood.

"Come on baby, the sooner we start, the sooner we can finish those private "vocal exercises" you need so badly." Kurt said, pulling Blaine to his feet. "Besides, I promise that by tonight, that bed will be _perfectly_ broken in."

Blaine caught the wink from his boyfriend and smiled. Opening up the first box, he threw his head around to watch his boyfriend organizing his clothes.

How had he managed to get so lucky?

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><p>The two finished unpacking in record time and they soon found themselves curled up on Blaine's bed (fully clothed, despite Blaine's protests) cuddling before Blaine had to head off to work. Blaine checked his phone and sighed. He placed a sweet kiss on Kurt's lips, who seemed to falling asleep, before untangling his legs and making to stand up to change into his work shirt.<p>

"Where are you going?" Kurt mumbled, sleepily and Blaine couldn't help but smile. He leaned back down to press another soft kiss on his boyfriend's lips.

"I have work in 20 minutes, I have to go." Blaine whispered on his lips before pulling away and stripping off his shirt, searching his closet aimlessly for one of his black polo's with the Lima Bean logo on the front. Kurt made a sound of protest but kept relatively quiet as Blaine finished getting ready for work.

"Alright, Kurt. I'm leaving. Feel free to stay here and keep my bed warm if you want, though I know you probably have some unpacking of your own to do, right?"

Kurt groaned and propped himself up on his elbow, "Please don't remind me. I can only imagine the havoc that Finn has probably wreaked already since I haven't been there to properly organize everything." His head hurt just thinking about it. Blaine chuckled and grabbed his keys and wallet off the dresser.

"Go help your step-brother unpack. I get off at nine. I'll see you then?"

"You can count on it. I'll probably need a break by then anyways."

"Yes, you're probably right. I love you."

"Love you too, see you later!"

Blaine winked and headed out the door and down his dormitory hallway. He passed Kurt and Finn's room on his way down and noticed Finn standing in the middle of the room surrounded by boxes. Shaking his head, he picked up his pace and almost jogged down the stairs to the parking lot. He did not want to hear Kurt's reaction when he saw the mess Finn had already made.

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><p>It was an hour until closing when Kurt stomped in to the Lima Bean. Blaine was wiping down the espresso machine as he watched his boyfriend march over to an empty table and throw his bag down. Blaine immediately knew something was wrong. Kurt didn't just throw his bag down carelessly. He started working on a latte for his favorite customer as Kurt trudged over to the counter with his biggest bitch face on.<p>

"I had to unpack his delicates, Blaine. FINN'S DELICATES! Do you have any idea of how emotionally scarring that is?" Kurt inquired as Blaine slid his coffee over the counter.

Blaine smirked at his boyfriend, "What not even a proper hello?" he asked, which earned a raised eyebrow from his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry I'm still trying to get over the fact that my step-brother is incompetent at just about everything he tries to accomplish."

"I suppose I forgive you, but I do need payment for that coffee I just so graciously made for you." Blaine smiled, leaning over the counter. Kurt met him half way and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for the coffee. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to sit down and finish up on my AP Lit summer work while you finish closing up." Kurt replied turning around and walking over to his discarded bag. He sat down in his chair and took out his laptop, Blaine smiled and shook his head and went back to cleaning so he could get out on time.

The two drove separately back to Dalton and Kurt all but begged Blaine to let him spend the night in his room so he didn't have to go back and deal with Finn. The two boys made their way to Blaine's dorm room and settled in for the night. Tomorrow was the first day of class and both boys wanted to be refreshed and on time for them.

Once each boy performed their nightly routines, the climbed into the twin bed that Blaine had. It was nothing compared to the queen size bed they were used to sharing during weekends spent together, but it would do. They enjoyed the closeness of each other anyways.

Blaine laid against the wall and wrapped his arm around Kurt and nuzzled into the back of his boyfriends neck.

"Goodnight, Kurt." Blaine whispered pressing a light kiss right on the nape of Kurt's hairline.

Kurt sighed in contentment before snuggling in closer. "Goodnight, Blaine."

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><p>Kurt straightened his tie as he quickly walked down the hallway toward the commons. He was due to meet up with Thad and David in a few minutes for their first official meeting. Kurt was thrilled to begin his reign as a council leader. He already had several ideas about songs for Sectionals.<p>

"Ah, Kurt, you're here! Sit down, David's just on the phone with Alison, _again._" Thad explained to him. Alison was David's long-time girlfriend. She was pretty, with long blonde hair and was extremely friendly. Kurt had met her on several occasions, and if it hadn't been for Wes' strict punctuality, several rehearsals probably would have been delayed due to David's notorious mid-afternoon chats. Thad and Kurt talked about moving back in for a few more minutes, and then David finally appeared.

"So...let's begin!" David said excitedly, tapping his hands on the table. It was plain to see he loved his new power. Though a second-year council-leader, Wes' departure clearly gave Thad and David an increased sense of authority. It wasn't a secret that Wes had used his seniority even over his fellow leaders.

"I feel like there should be something more official to induct you to your leadership position, Kurt, but we'll formally recognize you tomorrow at rehearsal."

"Not to worry!" Kurt chattered animatedly. "I'm so thankful you guys chose me to be in charge!"

"Well Kurt, you've been a vocal leader of this group since you were a freshman. Let's be honest, it was a little painful watching Wes hold his gavel over you head the past few years, wasn't it?" The boys laughed, and Thad picked up where David had finished.

"Seriously, Kurt. You've changed so much since you started here. Your relationship with Finn, and bringing him in, surviving the whole Trent debacle, and then getting to know Blaine. It's obvious he's good for you, and it's made our lives easier knowing your diva side is buried deep down."

"Hey!" Kurt laughed, faking insult. "Don't mess with my diva side. It's still there, just waiting for a moment to come and snark you up. Besides, this whole new power is going straight to my ego, don't let anything make you think otherwise."

The three chuckled in unison. Inside, Kurt was thrilled. He couldn't be more pleased about how the interaction with David and Thad was going. It was plain to see that they had chemistry between them, and they would bring the Warblers to victory this year. Which brought him to his next point...

"So listen, Thad, David, all jokes about my divaness aside, I seriously think I know what we need to do to win this year."

The two other boys shifted in their seats.

"It's plain to me that the Warblers have become, well, a little predictable. From what Blaine's said and what we've seen about the New Directions, they are not a one-trick pony. And I watched them lose at Nationals, guys. They're going to come back with a vengeance this year, and I don't think our usual top-forty set list is going to work. I have the perfect idea for a song!"

Thad and David leaned forward eagerly in their seats.

"What if we do the Lady Gaga/Elton John duet from the 2010 Grammys? A little Poker Face, then Speechless and Your Song? I know Blaine can do the Elton part, and of course I know every word to Speechless. Plus, it's not one of her most famous songs, so it's not overdone. And they're both in the Warbler's pop wheelhouse!" Kurt sat back, looking pleased.

Thad sighed after exchanging a long look with David. "Kurt, while we don't totally hate the suggestion, you have to understand where we're coming from. The guys, they're accepting for sure...but performing a number by two of the most notorious gay icons in a duet featuring our leading gay couple? I'm sorry, but it's Ohio. What if we get penalized for this by the judges?"

"What about 'Just the Way You Are,' by Bruno Mars?" David suggested. Thad nodded.

Kurt looked down at his hands.

"I thought me being in charge of this group meant that I'd get to shake things up, you know, be a leader."

"You can be, Kurt! And we understand what you mean. But it's just like when you auditioned for the Warblers and waltzed in belting out 'Le Jazz Hot,'" David explained. Kurt smiled fondly at the memory, as his fellow Warbler continued. "You had to learn to find the balance between you and the traditions this group has had for so many decades."

Kurt still avoided eye contact. Thad spoke next.

"We'll find a way to spotlight you in the way you want, Kurt, if it's for the greater good. Part of being a leader is going to be making sure that everyone benefits, even if it means you don't get to be the star. You're still our frontman, no one is trying to change that. And yes, maybe we'll get to add a few surprises to our set list. But for now, we should focus on getting the Warblers ready for the school year. We have months to worry about sectionals."

Kurt nodded in silent apology for his divaness. David gave him a reassuring look and squeezed his arm before turning toward Thad. They ironed out details about the first official rehearsal, auditions, and worked on figuring out a schedule for the next few weeks. By the time five o'clock rolled around, Kurt was exhausted. He went with Thad and David to dinner, Blaine, Nick, Jeff and Finn joining them at the table. Kurt picked at his salad mostly, an act that didn't miss Blaine's eyes. The two excused themselves to Blaine's single afterward.

Kurt flopped onto Blaine's bed, groaning into the pillow.

"Baby, what if I'm not cut out to lead the Warblers?" he asked quietly. Blaine rubbed his back in response.

"Kurt, you were never meant to follow someone. You've been blazing your own path for years now. Wes' gavel was just a formality to conflict with that. You're a natural leader, babe, and you're going to be perfect. Besides, you're already my star. Why shouldn't everyone else get to see exactly how wonderful you are?"

Kurt smiled, leaning in to kiss Blaine on the lips.

"What did I do to get such an amazing, eloquent, beautiful boy to fall in love with me?" Kurt asked.

"Sexual favors, mostly." said boyfriend replied. The two laughed, but Blaine's eyes darkened slightly. Kurt caught the expression and pressed their lips together again.

"Thanks, Blaine," Kurt murmured between kisses, knowing it'd be the last thing they'd say for awhile. Blaine replied by deepening their kiss, and as their arms encircled each other, Kurt felt the stress lifting away. Everyone was right: his senior year _was_ going to be the best one yet.

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><p><strong>AN: Like we said before, we have big plans for this story. While Allie's on break, we should be able to get ahead on everything and keep to our weekly posting, if not more frequently than that. As always, come talk to us on tumblr: Cait's new url is shortpantsand-bowties, and Allie's is tomorrowneverkn0ws still. Or come find us on our joint account, klaineitonthealc. Or give us a nice long reviews. We love reviews. Anyway, just come talk to us. We wanna hear your input, ideas, etc. **

**Xo, C&A**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out guys. It's much longer than chapter one though, so enjoy! Hopefully, the next chapter won't take so long.**

**Disclaimer: No Glee for us. **

**As always: read, review, enjoy. xoxo**

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><p>Chaos.<p>

The room was absolute chaos.

It was Thursday afternoon. The clock read 3:32. Kurt was sitting in between Thad and David at a polished mahogany table in a room full of boys in navy blazers.

Boys who wouldn't stop talking.

In that instant, Kurt finally understood Wes' obsession with his gavel.

He looked at either side of him to his fellow council members to see if they had any ideas on how to calm down the group. They were already two-make that three-minutes behind schedule. At this rate, Kurt's first Warbler rehearsal was going to be a complete wash.

He caught Blaine's eye in the middle of the room and helplessly shrugged his shoulders. Blaine nodded sympathetically and gestured to the piano. Kurt's eyes widened as he understood the silent plot. Blaine crossed the room to the bench unnoticed and sat down. He started playing a scale, moving up the keys. Kurt began to sing out the notes with him, his sounds unnoticed in the room of mayhem. Blaine eventually began keying higher notes that Kurt hit with ease.

Suddenly, Blaine started playing a melody, one Kurt was all too familiar with. Blaine had picked it up at the second verse, but Kurt knew exactly what his intentions were.

"_I'm through accepting limits, cause someone says they're so. _

_Some things I cannot change, but till I try I'll never know,"_

A few heads spun in his direction, but the majority of the group continued chattering.

"_Too long I've been afraid of losing love I guess I lost,_

_Well if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost!_

_I'd sooner buy defying gravity,_

_Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity_

_I think I'll try defying gravity_

_And you won't bring me down."_

There was still some chatter in the room, so Kurt repeated the chorus. This time, he hit the high F at the end, and every eye was on him. He finished the song surrounded by completely silence.

"That's better." He said, locking eyes with Finn, Nick, and Jeff. "I know I don't have a gavel, guys, but we still start right at 3:30. So that means you're done with the side-conversations at 3:28. We need to be serious this year, because there is no way I'm not going to Nationals this time."

"And with that, we'd like to introduce Wes' replacement to the Warbler council, Kurt Hummel," David interjected. The room broke out in applause.

"Going off of what Kurt said, guys, it's time to get serious about this year and set up auditions. They're next week, on Monday, at 4pm sharp. We expect you all to be recruiting new members in the meantime. We got lucky this year and didn't lose too many seniors, but there are a lot of us graduating this year. So seek out the freshmen and sophomores especially. To you juniors, and even sophomores, there are three leadership positions up this year, so every second is an opportunity to showcase what you have to offer." Thad added.

"Thad's right, many of us are graduating in June. This year is everything to us. It's all or nothing at this point. That means we're going to work our butts off. We got so close last time, and I'll be damned if I let Rachel Berry steal it from me again," Kurt finished with a grin. The room broke out in quiet laughter.

"As always, we'll start talking songs for Sectionals in October. The council does get final say," David said, turning toward Kurt, "but we're going to consider all suggestions very seriously. We need to be at our best this year, maybe step out of our comfort zones a little. This year is ours for the taking!"

The room filled with applause. Kurt's eyes flashed toward Blaine sitting at the piano. He gave an adorable wink, his hazel eyes gleaming with pride.

After handing out rehearsal calendars and discussing a trip to Shady Oaks to perform later in the month, the group was dismissed. Kurt stayed to consult Thad and David for a few minutes, but when he walked out found his boyfriend waiting.

"Hi baby," Blaine said, his hand cradling his head with his elbow pressed against the wall. He gave Kurt's hand a squeeze with his free one. Kurt offered up a smile, and they headed up the spiral staircase toward the dormitory.

They went to Kurt's room first to drop off his stuff and change out of the uniform. Kurt shrugged off his blazer and hung it on the back of his desk chair before flopping facedown onto his bed. His first day on the Warbler council had made him of a pit of nerves, and he was exhausted.

Blaine sank into the mattress next to him, kneading his fingers into Kurt's hair. Kurt snuggled into his boyfriend, resting his head on his firm thighs.

"Mm, that feels so good." Kurt mumbled, closing his eyes. Blaine continued to massage Kurt's head, and the other boy let out a sigh of relaxation. Blaine leaned back into Kurt's pillows, rubbing steadily. He felt Kurt's breathing get steadier, and after a few minutes he felt his boyfriend fall asleep. Blaine wrapped his arm around Kurt's head and stroked the strands. Kurt shifted so he was resting on Blaine's belly, and Blaine snuggled down onto the bed until Kurt's head was against his chest.

They ended up napping like that for a few hours, completely missing the dinner period. It wasn't until Finn came into the room around nine that they realized they'd slept the whole evening.

Kurt finally changed in the bathroom from his gray slacks to a pair of loose black pants and a white Buckeyes shirt he'd evidently stolen from Finn. Luckily they didn't have any homework as it was still early in the year, so Blaine and Kurt had nothing on their agenda for the evening. Hyped up from their nap, they knew they weren't going to be able to go to sleep anytime soon.

Blaine decided to change as well when they reached his room. Doing a pseudo-striptease for Kurt, he shed his button-down slowly, fingering each tiny button before sliding it open. Once he had it off, he swung it over his head like a lasso, causing Kurt to giggle incessantly. Bare-chested, he traced his fingers down his own chest before fiddling with his pants button. Unable to keep his hands to himself anymore, Kurt reached across the bed and grabbed the waistband of the gray pants that needed to be on the floor yesterday. With practiced technique, Kurt pulled the zipper down with his teeth, using his deft fingers to unbutton the pants and pull them off. When Blaine was down to his maroon boxer-briefs, Kurt pulled him downward into the bed.

Their lips met without hesitation, their teeth clanking slightly as they messily fused their mouths together. Fingers worked their way in between Blaine's curls, and he moved his down the soft t-shirt covering Kurt's smooth skin. The soft t-shirt that needed to go.

He unattached their lips for a split second to pull the fabric over Kurt's head, tracing a finger underneath his waistband, asking for permission. When Kurt granted it semi-blushingly, Blaine found that his boyfriend had neglected his underwear.

Giggling, Kurt sat back on his heels, letting Blaine drink in every inch. Kurt slid his hands down Blaine's tanned sides, hooking his fingers in the stretchy band. Pulling away the final layer, it was Kurt's turn to marvel in the beauty that was his boyfriend.

Kurt pushed Blaine down into the pillows and kissed him fervently. His tongue made patterns against Blaine's in the warm, wet cavern. Pulling away, he fixed his mouth on Blaine's neck, sucking lightly. Fluttering kisses down Blaine's chest, Kurt left big wet lip prints along his hip. Moving slightly across the skin, he lapped up the pre-come leaking from Blaine's completely hard cock. Mouthing over it, Kurt swallowed it whole, bobbing up and down.

Blaine moaned sheepishly, and Kurt pulled off with a pop. Licking his own palm, he stroked his own hardness before pulling Blaine against him. Rolling so his boyfriend was on top, Kurt hooked his ankles around Blaine's back and dug in. Blaine rutted against him, and Kurt arched backward. Keening softly, Kurt bucked his hips against Blaine's, their slick erections sliding against each other.

Blaine felt the always-welcome heat in his stomach, and murmured to Blaine that he was close. Echoing his boyfriend, Kurt moaned before feeling himself come. Blaine shouted out his own orgasm almost instantly. Rolling off of Kurt, Blaine grabbed the tissues from nightstand, wiping the cum off of their chests.

With a coy smile, Kurt nodded toward Blaine's single bathroom, the shower of which hadn't been christened yet by the boys. Groaning audibly, Blaine smiled and tugged his boyfriend toward the door. The night had just begun.

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><p>Kurt's birthday was coming up and Blaine was freaking out. Last year they hadn't been officially together yet and Kurt had insisted that he not make a big deal out of it, so he didn't. He had gotten him a scarf and glove set with a Lima Bean gift card and that was that. This year though, he had to get something spectacular and it was seriously stressing him out. He had no ideas and only a week and a half to come up with something perfect. For now though, he'd put it in the back of his mind because he had a more pressing matter to tend to: talking Kurt into going on a double date with Finn and Rachel.<p>

Rachel had been bugging him to set this date up since the day after the carnival at the end of the summer. Blaine had been hesitant because he knew that while Kurt tolerated Rachel and did like her most of the time, that she could be a little trying. Also, the fact that Finn was Kurt's step-brother wasn't really helping matters either. But Rachel kept on insisting and Blaine finally conceded so now here they were, sitting on Blaine's bed doing homework on Thursday night. Kurt was sprawled out on his stomach taking up most of the bed and Blaine couldn't help but smile at his adorableness.

"Hey babe?" Blaine asked, setting his pencil down on top of his notebook.

"Hmm?" Kurt mumbles, pen in his mouth as he concentrated on his history notes.

"So I was talking to Rachel," Blaine started and Kurt pulled the pen out of his mouth.

"Blaine, honey, we've talked about this before. You and Rachel thinking and talking together never ends well." Kurt smirked and Blaine just rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to disregard that previous comment and continue." Kurt nodded him on silently. "Rachel has been bugging me since the end of summer for the four of us to go on a double date."

"The four of us meaning you and I and Rachel and Finn, I presume?"

Blaine nodded. "You would presume correctly. I mean I know she's not your favorite person in the world and I know that Finn gets on your nerves a lot but Rachel's my best friend. And I actually think that this could be really fun. We'll do something different. We'll go out to a nice restaurant in Columbus or something. And I mean I know if you don't wanna go I'll just tell Rachel no, but-"

"Blaine." Kurt interrupted his rambling boyfriend. "I'll go. Rachel is tolerable in small doses and Finn, well, he's Finn. I can handle it. I wouldn't dare miss out on a nice dinner with my lovely boyfriend." Blaine grinned and lunged towards his boyfriend, almost knocking both of them off the bed. Kurt started laughing as Blaine continued to smother his face in kisses, everywhere from his forehead, to his cheeks, to his nose, whispering sweet little _I love you's _in between each one.

"Yes, yes. I know I'm amazing," Kurt laughed out during his kissing attack, "Now get off of me you big goof! We need to study!"

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><p>Kurt sat on his bed staring into his small Dalton closet. Warbler practice ran late today and he only had a little over an hour to get ready. Finn was lying on his bed playing XBOX, seemingly un-phased that they both had to be ready to leave soon. Heaving a sigh, Kurt got off his bed and pulled out his dark gray skinny jeans, a navy shirt and a pale blue vest. He didn't have time to think about it, nor did he have a lot of clothes to choose from. He quickly went into the bathroom and completed a quickened moisturizing routine and made sure his hair was perfectly coiffed. Just as he was slipping his pants on, Finn was finally turning off his game to get ready. Kurt rolled his eyes at his step-brother, feeling a slight jealousy towards him for being able to get ready so quickly. He finished the last button his vest and called into the bathroom that he was heading down the hall to Blaine's room.<p>

Just as he was about to walk into the room, Blaine's door swung open to reveal none other than Rachel Berry.

"Hey Kurt!" Rachel called, "I got in a little early and Finn wasn't answering his cell phone, of course, so I called Blaine. You look great by the way, very handsome-" she went on, oblivious that Kurt was paying her no attention at all, his eyes fully focused on his boyfriend, who had a playful smirk on his face.

Mumbling a hello, he walked right past Rachel and over to his boyfriend, who looking stunning in striped pants and a black polo with a gray cardigan. Kurt slipped his arms around Blaine's waist and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

"Well, hello to you to." Blaine commented as Kurt pulled away.

"Sorry," Kurt replied, sheepishly. "I haven't gotten to do that all day."

"Oh, don't apologize, it was very well received." Blaine smirked as he leaned in to give Kurt another kiss.

Rachel cleared her voice, "If you boys are finished, we really need to be leaving soon if we're going to make our reservation." Blaine hummed in agreement and grabbed Kurt's hand and the three of them made their way to find Finn.

"So you guys, it's getting time to start thinking about filling out college applications. Have you narrowed down your choices yet?" Rachel asked nonchalantly over their dinner. Blaine and Kurt noticeably tensed. College has been the one topic that the two of them have avoided like the plague since the summer when Kurt brought it up once. Blaine didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to think about the possibility of splitting up from Kurt. Kurt had agreed not to talk about it until it was completely necessary.

"Well, we, uh, we," Blaine started, not really knowing what he was going to say because he really wasn't sure _where _he wanted to apply to college, and all he knew about Kurt was that he wanted to go the east coast, preferably somewhere in New York.

"We haven't discussed it with each other yet," Kurt stated, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He then reached over and gave Blaine's knee a quick squeeze and Blaine sent him a grateful look. This was definitely not a conversation they needed to have in front of Rachel and Finn.

"Really?" Rachel inquired, looking thoughtfully between the two boys.

"Really, Rachel. Please drop it." Blaine stated and Rachel sensed his tone and didn't bring it up for the rest of dinner. After dinner, the two couples split up for a little bit to spend some alone time together. Blaine and Kurt linked hands and made their way up the block to take in all the little shops.

"That was nice," Kurt said, after a long, comfortable silence. "Rachel was, dare I say, bearable tonight?"

Blaine chuckled and hummed in response. "She wasn't too bad at all. I'm glad you don't mind her because she really is my best friend." Kurt smiled and nudging Blaine's shoulder with his own.

"I know she is, silly. That's why I make the effort. I actually can appreciate her ambition. She's very, um, motivated." Blaine outright laughed at that.

"Yes, motivated would be a good word to use, I suppose. Even if it may be a bit of an understatement." Kurt giggled and stopped walking, turning Blaine toward him, so they were facing each other.

"Look, I know that you don't want to talk about college yet, but Rachel is right, we need to make a list of schools. We need to figure out if we want to even apply to the same schools. This is a big deal, Blaine. There's a lot to figure out."

Blaine slowly exhaled, shaking his head. "I know we need to talk about this. But can it not be tonight? Too much thinking and stress for such a nice evening, don't you think?" Kurt smiled.

"Yes you are right, it has been a nice evening, hasn't it?" Kurt leaned in and the two kissed slowly, but passionately on the empty sidewalk. After some time, the two pulled away to catch their breath.

"I think that we should go find Finn and Rachel, yeah?" Kurt nodded and grabbed his boyfriend's hands, slotting their fingers together as if they had been made for just that.

"Hey, Rachel?" Blaine whispered from his bed. Rachel had been given permission to spend the night at Dalton, and while it would have been nice to have Kurt there instead of Rachel, he was happy to have the extra time to spend with his friend. He, admittedly, had been very busy as of late and didn't have a lot of time to spend with her.

"Yes, Blaine?" Rachel sleepily whispered back.

"Do you think that Kurt and I will make it through college? We haven't talked about it at all it really worries me." Blaine asked, propping himself on his elbow to look over at his friend lying on the bed across from him. Rachel thought about that carefully for a minute before responding.

"I think that if anyone will survive college, it's the two of you. You two are made for each other. You support each other one hundred percent and I think that anything you decide to do, Kurt will continue to support that. I wouldn't worry about it at all." They both stayed silent for a while before Blaine finally spoke again.

"Thanks, Rach. I really hope you're right."

"No problem, Blainey. That's what I'm here for, right? Giving my amazing advice and leading you in all the right directions." Blaine laughed lightly. "I think the better question, though, is what the heck are you going to get Kurt for his birthday?"

Blaine groaned loudly and threw his head back on his pillow. "Rachel, I have NO idea. How terrible is that? Like what are you supposed to get Kurt? He literally has everything he needs."

"Well," Rachel started, after a moment of thought, "What if you took him shopping to pick it out?"

"Rachel Berry, that may be the best idea you've ever had." Rachel grinned triumphantly.

"Of course it is." Blaine rolled his eyes, flicked off his lamp and they fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

><p>"Blaine! Stop! You're going to pull my arm out of its socket!" Kurt shrieked, laughing as he followed his over-excited boyfriend down the hall of their dorm. It was Friday afternoon and Kurt knew that Blaine had something up his sleeve for his birthday weekend, he just wasn't sure what. When they reached Kurt's door, Blaine hopped energetically until Kurt found his keys and let them in. Then, Blaine moved to his boyfriend's bed and continued his bunny impression.<p>

"Blaine! What's gotten into you today?" Kurt asked, smiling as he sank into his desk chair. Blaine merely shook his head excitedly.

"No time to sit Kurt! You need to pack!"

"Pack? Pack for what?" Kurt exclaimed in reply.

"Your birthday weekend! Did you really think we'd spend it here in Westerville? Come on, Kurt, give me a _little_ credit." Blaine said with a grin. "Now, you need one fancy outfit for dinner, a few simple, casual day outfits, and your toiletries."

Kurt groaned. "Blaine! You know outfit-planning takes me hours to do, on a good day. Any time spent outside this navy polyester straitjacket is blessed, and carefully-"

"Kurt! Just pull the first few outfits that come to mind and then I'll give you approximately thirty minutes to coordinate your dinner ensemble. But we've gotta hurry and stay on schedule!"

His boyfriend sighed and immediately began tearing his closet apart. Blaine pried open his history textbook and skimmed the chapter on Mesopotamia, eyes flicking to the clock every now and again.

When it hit four-thirty, Blaine let out a buzz.

"That's time!" he called over to Kurt, who had what appeared to be an entire fall collection spread across his bed. "Go put this in your suitcase and grab your skincare stuff, we've got exactly twenty-eight minutes until we need to be on the road and out of here!"

Kurt sighed and began folding the pieces he'd selected. Without Blaine noticing, he carefully packed his seven outfits, tucking accessories into the side pocket of the suitcase. Retreating into the bathroom, he pulled all the necessary products, unblushingly including the bottle of KY sitting in his medicine cabinet.

Finally, they were ready to leave. After a quick trip down to Blaine's bedroom to grab his duffel bag, the boys jumped into Blaine's Jeep.

"You could at least let me know _where_ we're going, considering I'll have to tell Finn so he won't worry. I know we're going overnight _somewhere,_ Blaine, you made me pack a suitcase for god's sake."

Blaine shook his head. "I already told Finn. He's known for about a week now, and so has your dad, so don't try to pull any of that."

He drove them straight north for about two hours, until Kurt could see the city lights of Cleveland.

"We're going to Cleveland!" Kurt said, straightening in his seat. "The shopping is supposedly excellent! Oh my god, this is so exciting!"

"Well, we've already conquered Columbus, so I figured we could try something new," Blaine said, smiling. He drove them into the city, maneuvering the narrow streets until they pulled up to the hotel. Kurt's jaw dropped as he read the name.

"The Ritz-Carlton, Blaine!" He said, squeezing his boyfriend's arm. Blaine simply laughed.

"But baby, you shouldn't have went all out like this," Kurt continued, and his boyfriend shook his head.

"Don't be crazy. You're worth it. Besides, the hotel part was Sophia's gift. She still swears she owes you for all this wedding planning."

Kurt managed to compose himself as they walked into the luxurious lobby. Blaine checked them in while Kurt took in the surroundings, attempting to not seem like a complete country bumpkin.

Key cards in hand, the boys rode the elevator up to the eighth floor, where they let themselves into a gorgeous room. They had a view of the garden courtyard below, an enormous king sized bed, and a Jacuzzi tub.

"Blaine, this is amazing!" Kurt squealed, taking the moment to kiss his wonderful boyfriend. He whipped out his phone to call Sophia and when she answered, he gushed endlessly into her ear.

Blaine set to unpacking their things while Kurt chatted with his sister. He carefully hung all of Kurt's clothes, and placed their toiletries in the bathroom next to each other, marveling at how perfectly domestic it seemed. He could picture his hair gel sitting next to Kurt's moisturizer in an apartment when they went off to college the next year.

Shaking the fantasy out of his head, he finished and stumbled back into the living room. Kurt was lying across the sofa, propped up on an elbow. He quickly leaned down and kissed his boyfriend, who sighed in reply. Kurt pulled Blaine in further and deepened the kiss. Blaine eased himself slowly on top of Kurt, massaging his boyfriend's head as he curled his fingers into the strands.

Blaine broke the kiss eventually, sliding so he was lying in between Kurt and the back of the couch. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, kissing the back of his neck.

"Do you want to go grab something for dinner?" He whispered into Kurt's ear.

"I'd much rather do this all night," Kurt replied, but his stomach growled almost instantly after he finished. Blaine laughed and kissed Kurt's cheek. He responded by sitting up on the couch, standing, and helping Blaine up. They changed into fresh shirts and headed back to the concierge. Upon her recommendation, the boys wandered down Third Street and into a little Italian bistro. There, they ate pasta that blew Breadstix out of the water until they were so full, Blaine unbuttoned his jeans.

They slowly made their way back to the Ritz, fingers intertwined. They enjoyed a comfortable silence until they were in their room again. Kurt disappeared to shower and begin his skincare routine, while Blaine opted to catch the score of the Buckeyes game. A few minutes later, though, he got a different idea.

Crossing the room, he shed his clothes quickly, making sure that the main door was securely locked. Then he opened the door to the bathroom, where Kurt was mid-shower-and mid-belt. It never ceased to amaze Blaine that Kurt never missed an opportunity to perform, even for himself. Smiling, he slid open the frosted glass door and slid his arms around Kurt's slick waist.

Kurt didn't even flinch at the touch, simply leaning back against his boyfriend's chest. Spinning around, he pressed his lips to Blaine, opening his mouth to grant his tongue access. He pulled Blaine under the stream, using his shampoo to help his fingers work through the dark curls. Kurt turned Blaine back around after he was done with his hair, massaging his shoulders and back. When he was finished, he kissed his way up the wet skin, turning so he could meet Blaine's lips at the top.

Within a minute, Blaine felt himself begin to harden. Reaching behind Kurt, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping himself in a fluffy towel, he passed one to his boyfriend, whose skin was glowing after all his treatments. Taking him by the hand, he led him to the bed. Securing their lips in a kiss, the boys silently decided to take advantage of their huge bed.

The next morning, Kurt awoke to a puppy next to him. Rather, his boyfriend in pure puppy form.

"Kurt! It's your birthday! You're officially an adult!" Blaine said excitedly, squeezing him. Kurt laughed, wrapping his arms around Blaine as well. They kissed for a few minutes, until finally Kurt pulled away.

"I love you, but...morning breath. You're fine, but you know I'm self-conscious." Kurt explained, walking nakedly across to the bathroom. Blaine let out a catcall as Kurt swayed his hips. He quickly brushed his teeth and returned to the bed, where Blaine was replacing the phone receiver.

"Who was that?" Kurt asked. Blaine shook his head in reply.

"No one, baby," he answered, kissing him lightly on the nose. Kurt knew when Blaine was hiding something, but he let it go. They resumed their kissing for a little while longer, letting their hands roam down their backs. Blaine pulled away eventually, and the two got ready for the day.

They opted for a quick coffee-and-muffin breakfast at the cafe downstairs before Blaine led them down the street.

"Now, Kurt, you should know by now that you're actually impossible to shop for. I mean it. I couldn't even start to think of what to get you for your birthday."

"Baby, please, this trip is gift enough!" Kurt insisted. Blaine shook his head.

"Not at all! You only turn eighteen once, love. So I decided that instead of me picking you out something ridiculous that you'll inevitably hide in the back of your closet, I'm just going to take you shopping."

Kurt's eyes widened in surprise.

"But you already are doing so much, baby, I couldn't!"

"Oh, shush. It's not like we're going to Cartier. Just go into these stores and pick out some things that you like. Even _you _deserve some new clothes every once in a while." Blaine laughed, and Kurt kissed him lightly.

"Have I told you lately you're the best boyfriend ever?" Kurt replied with a smile.

"Mmm, I'm sure you have...but you can say it again." Blaine answered.

Hand in hand, the two spent hours traversing the boutiques. Kurt ended up with a couple scarves, two tops, a vest, and the tightest pair of black pants that Blaine had ever seen. When Kurt had come out of the fitting room in them, Blaine had to shift uncomfortably in his seat to keep from revealing just how happy those pants made him.

Around four they made it back to the hotel, where Kurt instantly set to adding his new clothes to the garments already hanging in the closet. When he returned to the room, he found Blaine had collapsed onto the bed.

"What time are our dinner reservations?" he asked Blaine before the boy completely dozed off. When he heard him murmur "Eight" in reply, he set the phone alarm for six forty-five and snuggled into Blaine's arms for a nap.

When the annoying chirp of the Blackberry woke him nearly three hours later, Kurt felt refreshed. He let Blaine sleep a little bit longer as he set about moisturizing. Around seven fifteen, he nudged his boyfriend from his slumber before returning to the closet to play with his outfit selections again.

Finally, he decided on an ensemble he actually liked. By this time, Blaine was dressed with his hair done, and was sitting patiently in an armchair. At quarter to eight, they departed for dinner.

Blaine had selected a trendy Asian-fusion place for dinner, and Kurt was pleasantly surprised. He loved the atmosphere immensely; it was like the anti-Lima. This was exactly the kind of place he could see himself dining with Blaine this time next year, when they were happily ensconced in their quaint New York City apartment. They hadn't exactly said they were going off to school together yet, but Kurt knew that they needed to be together for college, and Kurt's heart belonged in New York. He tried not to get lost in his future plans as he clinked his glass against Blaine's.

After finishing their second amazing dinner in a row, the two returned to their hotel room. Blaine had a sneaky smile on his face, and Kurt couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with that mysterious phone call from the morning.

His suspicions were thwarted, however, when he entered the room. It was exactly as he'd left it...or so it seemed.

"Why don't you grab a shower, and then we can snuggle and see which crappy movie is on HBO tonight?" Blaine suggested as he kicked off his shoes. Kurt nodded and undressed in the bedroom so he could carefully put his clothes away. Wrapping himself in a robe, he shot Blaine a coy smile as he wandered toward the bathroom.

There, he found the Jacuzzi tub brimming with lavender-scented bubbles and rose petals. There were vanilla-scented tea lights surrounding the tub and all over the countertop. Blaine's iHome was playing soft music, and the room emanated the luxurious scent and glow.

As Kurt basked in this amazing sight, he heard the door open behind him. He turned to place a shocked kiss to Blaine's lips, smiling as they pulled apart. Blaine slid off Kurt's robe, tracing his fingers down his chest and stomach. He was always in awe of his boyfriend's porcelain skin, but in the candlelight, it almost glimmered. Sliding into the tub, he leaned back against the wall, holding out a hand so Kurt would join him. He pulled Kurt flush against his chest, holding him tight in his arms.

Blaine trickled his fingers up and down Kurt's arm, soaping him up. He then used what Kurt called "magic fingers" to work out the kinks in his boyfriend's shoulders. Blaine kneaded the skin delicately until he had reduced Kurt to jelly. He leaned back against Blaine in the tub, enjoying the warm water and the feeling of _closeness_ he had right now.

They stayed in that position until his fingers were beyond pruned and the bubbles were almost all gone. Sighing that their skin had to pull apart, they dried their bodies off quickly and made their way to the bedroom.

Kurt sat down on the edge of the bed and Blaine laid Kurt down gently after pulling down the blankets. Hovering over him, he pressed kisses along his chest and shoulders, teasing lightly at Kurt's neck. Kurt shivered when Blaine's mouth grazed his nipple before returning to kiss him. Their tongues met in the warm cavern that was their mouths. They kissed passionately, as if they had all the time in the world-and in that instant, Kurt realized that _they did._

They were completely alone in this hotel room, no distractions, just them. He could spend the next five hours kissing Blaine if he wanted to-and did he want to. Blaine's legs were bracing Kurt's sides, their chests touching. But they weren't close enough, in Kurt's opinion. Grabbing his boyfriend's ass, he forced their bodies to touch _everywhere_.

They shifted so they were on their sides, trailing their arms along each other's hips. Rolling again, Kurt found himself on top. He kissed Blaine's neck and firm pec muscle. He could feel Blaine's throbbing hardness against his thigh, and thrusted to give some friction. Blaine helped them roll again, nudging Kurt's legs apart.

"I want to take care of you," he requested, and Kurt nodded. Blaine went to retrieve the lube from his suitcase, and Kurt groaned at the loss of feeling his boyfriend's skin.

Blaine prepped him carefully, until Kurt was urging him for more. A second later, Kurt felt himself become full in the best way possible. He reached down to grip Blaine's hand and his boyfriend responded by kissing him at the same time. Blaine eased himself in and out slowly, not wanting to break the connection their mouths had made.

Eventually, Kurt felt himself tensing below. He used his free hand to tighten his fingers in Blaine's hair, and he came without a touch. A second later, Blaine released inside of him.

As gross as he felt, he didn't want to pull away from Blaine. His boyfriend seemed to understand this, and slowly slid out of him after a few minutes to pull a few tissues from the box besides the bed. After cleaning Kurt off, Blaine pulled him in to sleep against his chest, the favorite position of both boys.

The next morning, Kurt awoke to find Blaine had beaten him to the punch, again. In the place where a curly-haired boy should be there was a tray with Belgian waffles topped with fresh strawberries and two mugs of coffee. Blaine walked into the room a second later and snuggled up behind Kurt.

"Sorry, I was tipping room service," Blaine explained, handing Kurt a fork. They fed each other breakfast in a decidedly adorable fashion. Eventually, Blaine helped Kurt get out of bed, and they dressed for their final morning in the city.

"Now, this might be more of a present for me than you, but I can't deny that you'll probably like it," Blaine explained as they pulled up to a triangular glass building. They walked inside of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Kurt instantly got excited. One of the first exhibits included a sequin gown worn by Madonna and a handwritten page from her diary. All four of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper outfits were carefully encased in glass, and Michael Jackson's glittery glove rotated next to a mask from the _Thriller_ video.

A few hours later, the boys had finally seen all the memorabilia. Making their way back to the car, they chattered on about the things they'd seen.

They found themselves back at Dalton that night faced with neglected homework and an inquisition about their weekend from Finn. Ignoring both, they curled up on Blaine's bed to enjoy one last night of togetherness before they had to go back to reality. The next day was a teacher in-service, so they could do all their work then. Besides, being able to spend another night together was worth whatever would come tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello, lovely readers. This is finally the start of everything we have planned! The first couple chapters were just filler but this really sets up the rest of the story so we hope you are excited! :D**

**No, we don't own Glee. But we are both going to see Darren in H2$ on Sunday. EEEEEEP.**

**As always, read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Soph!" Kurt called, scooping the shorter Anderson up into a tight hug outside of the Lima Bean.<p>

"Hi Kurt!" Sophia laughed, but it came out muffled and into Kurt's shoulder. Kurt released his grip, grabbing her hand and practically dragging her into the coffee shop. They were there to visit Blaine at work, but more importantly because they had some serious wedding details to go over. The two walked up to the counter and got their coffees from Peyton.

"Hey, Kurt! Blaine's just in the back putting away some of the shipment. He'll probably be out in a little bit!" She greeted happily, setting the two drinks on the counter.

"Thanks, Peyton. Just tell him we'll be right over there, okay?" Kurt smiled at the barista.

"Sure thing!" The two went over to an empty table in the corner of the café and Kurt pulled out his signature planner.

"So," Kurt started, going down a checklist, "we have a date set for May 2nd, and we're going to look at prospective wedding dresses tomorrow. We picked out the color scheme, which I find absolutely divine. Today we have to create the guest list so we can send out a 'save the date'. After we have the guest list locked in, we can go to The Papery and pick out all the invitations, and those should go out no later than December."

Sophia nodded her approval, albeit looking a little flustered, but that was to be expected.

"This all sounds amazing, Kurt. I can't wait!" Sophia gave a little bounce up and down in her seat, reminding Kurt so much of Blaine.

Blaine walked over then, wrapping his arms around his older sister's shoulders and placing his chin on top of her head.

"He driving you crazy yet, Sophie?" Blaine inquired winking over at his boyfriend who rolled his eyes.

"Blaine," Sophia scolded, "Kurt is doing a wonderful job planning this wedding. You should be lucky that he is here to plan it. He's keeping me sane and is way more organized than I could ever manage to be on my own."

"Besides, Blaine," Kurt added, "You're probably just jealous that I'm keeping your sister all for myself. We all know this wedding stuff completely bores you." He added a wink for good measure, though he was sure Blaine knew he was joking anyway.

Blaine nodded and laughed before retreating back to work to let the two most important people in his life discuss wedding plans. He smiled wistfully over at Kurt and couldn't help but have a flash to the future, when it would be their wedding being planned. A beautiful man walking towards him in a stunning tuxedo (custom made of course). Lilac flowers strewn everywhere. All of their family and friends celebrating them. It was so vivid, so easy to get lost in what might be, but he shook the thought almost as soon as it came to him. He couldn't get ahead of himself considering he didn't even know what was going to happen after senior year, let alone six years down the line. He shook his head and got back to work. Before Blaine knew it, two hours had passed and his shift was over.

"Hey handsome," Kurt said, walking up to the counter Blaine was behind. "I just finished up with Sophia and she's going to head back to meet Sean for dinner. I was going to see if you maybe wanted to join me for dinner since you're done? My treat of course."  
>Blaine smiled. Like he would ever turn down quality time with his boyfriend.<p>

Kurt picked a nice Asian restaurant for dinner. He had been craving sushi and since it was his pick, Blaine agreed. The two ordered edamame to start and started talking about their respective days. Kurt went into detail about everything that was happening with the wedding.

"It's gonna be so lovely, Blaine. Sophia and I have such similar tastes so she practically agrees with everything I suggest!" Kurt beamed as he ate his soybeans.

"That's so great, babe! I'm really happy you two get along so well. You two mean so much to me, so it really means a lot, ya know?" Kurt just smiled and nodded as their sushi rolls got placed on the table. Kurt got two spicy tuna rolls and Blaine got two shrimp tempura rolls, stating that it was the only thing that was actually cooked on the menu. The two ate their meal in a comfortable silence, enjoying just having a nice relaxing date night. These were always the best kind of nights in Blaine's opinion. Simple, quiet and unplanned.

Kurt paid, true to his word, and the two boys made their way out of the small restaurant hand in hand. Climbing into Kurt's Navigator, they drove back to the Lima Bean since Blaine's car was there.

"So I was thinking," Kurt broke the silence and squeezed Blaine's hand from where they were resting on the center console, "when we get back, we could start talking about colleges...maybe make a list of schools and then tomorrow we can start applications. It's already October so we should probably figure this out." Blaine lifted their intertwined hands and gave a chaste kiss to Kurt's knuckles.

"Yes you're probably right. We should get this over with." Kurt laughed lightly.

"Why do you say it like that? Like it's a death sentence? You want to go to school on the east coast right? It's not like we won't be close to each other?" Blaine made a noncommittal noise that Kurt took as agreement and the two finished the ride in silence, Blaine lost in his own thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Two days earlier.<em>**

"Hey Blainey!" Sophia chirped through the phone.

"Hi Soph. Listen. I have to talk to you about something." Blaine started. He figured it'd be easier to cut right to the chase. He needed to know Sophia's opinion before he made his decision.

"Sure, B. What's wrong?" Sophia asked, catching the concerned tone in Blaine's voice almost immediately.

"Well, I've kind of been avoiding the college talk with Kurt like it's some deadly disease. I'm so conflicted. I'm pretty sure he thinks I want to go to New York for school and while most of my choices are there, my number one isn't." Blaine said, sort of quickly as if he was almost afraid to admit it to himself.

"UCLA?" Sophia questioned even though she didn't have to. She knew the answer already.

"UCLA." Blaine responded.

"Well... it _has_been your dream and plan forever, Blaine."

"I know Soph. I know that. But...I don't know, Kurt...he changes things. He's part of my life in a huge way. He's means the world to me Sophia. I don't know if I could handle being across the country from him. He's my plans now."

"Blaine. I know how much you love Kurt. Everyone knows how much you love Kurt. But you need to really think about this. Is New York really what you want?"

"Kurt is what I want." Blaine stated, getting frustrated with the way this conversation was turning out. "Why does it feel like you're trying to push me into doing this? To be far away from Kurt?"

"Blaine." Sophia sighed, "Blaine, that's not what I'm doing. I just want you to be happy. I want you to make sure that this is really what you want. You've been talking about UCLA since you were ten years old. If Kurt loves you, he'll understand, you know that."

"But what if he doesn't? He pretty much assumed we're going to college together. What if this breaks us? He's more important than California, Sophia. I don't want to lose him over this."

Sophia was silent for a moment before speaking. "I can't make this decision for you, baby brother. I think that you should apply anyway, just to see what happens. But I can't force you to do that. I just want you to be the happiest you can be. And if you do this and move to New York with Kurt and it doesn't work out, god forbid, I couldn't bear to see you so miserable and stuck somewhere you don't want to be. Plus, you'll always wonder what could have been. If you don't apply, you'll play the what-if game forever."

Blaine rubbed his hand over his face. This was so not how he was expecting this conversation to go. "I know Sophia. I'll think about it."

"That's all I'm asking, Blainey. I gotta run though, Sean just got home! Call me if you need anything though Blaine, okay?"

"Okay, Soph. I will. And thank you, really."

"That' what I'm here for. I love you, Blaine."

"Love you too, Soph. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Blaine hung up and threw his phone next to him on the bed. Lying back on his pillow, he closed his eyes, his thumb absently playing with the ring on his finger. He was more conflicted than ever.

* * *

><p>It was midnight and Blaine was exhausted. Both boys were sitting on their laptops sprawled out on Blaine's floor. They had spent the last three hours after returning to Dalton researching the schools that they wanted to apply to. They both had narrowed it down to a list of four each. Blaine had decided on Columbia, NYU, Boston University, and Fordham. Kurt had also selected NYU and Boston University (only because Blaine had insisted they branch out of New York, because hey- you never know). In addition, he'd filled out applications to the Fashion Insititute of Technology (go big or go home, right?) and Parsons School of Desgin.<p>

They had decided to call it a night after that and Kurt went into the bathroom to complete his nightly moisturizing routine and Blaine got changed into his pajamas. Once Kurt came out, Blaine went in and washed his face and brushed his teeth. By the time he was done Kurt was already snuggled underneath the covers and fast asleep. Blaine smiled faintly at his beautiful boyfriend and sat back down on the floor and opened his laptop. He went to the UCLA website and started researching, trying extremely hard to ignore the lump forming in the back of his throat and the twinge of guilt in his stomach.

* * *

><p>Kurt pulled the Navigator into a tight parking spot with practiced ease, turned off his iPod, and slid out of his car. Locking it behind him, he grimaced at the frilly mess directly in front of him before walking into a store he'd never have the horror of returning to.<p>

Lace and Love was the only bridal boutique in the county. It sold gowns with sleeves so puffy, Kurt swore they'd been recycled from slapstick powder skits. He'd had the divine pleasure of accompanying Carole there a few years previously, and luckily he'd managed to find something resembling style then. Now he was here hoping he'd have the same result with Sophia-though he pictured her in something a little different than what Carole'd worn.

The first person Kurt made eye contact with in the small boutique was a harried-looking salesperson. Hearing a shrill voice from behind her, he shot her a sympathetic glance before groaning and taking matters into his own hands.

"Rachel Berry, would you calm yourself!" Kurt called, heading over to where the small brunette was terrorizing the staff. "I'm sure they don't sell wedding dresses with reindeer on them. So sit down and let them do their job."

He could hear rustling behind him coming from the fitting room, and he turned to see what they'd done to Sophia. He sighed.

The poor girl was covered in fabric. The gown had long sleeves, was off the shoulder, and trailed behind her about five feet.

"Excuse me, Princess Di, I think you're a little late for the royal wedding," Kurt murmured, catching Sophia's eye in a wink. Her stealthy S.O.S. text had apparently been sent just in time. Kurt turned now to the blonde salesgirl who was stifling a laugh.

"Hi, Stephanie, I'm Kurt Hummel, wedding planner and boyfriend to the brother of the bride. I'd like to see her in some sweetheart necklines, maybe a mermaid gown or two? I know there's a few tucked in the back somewhere." he instructed before smiling sweetly. Then he nudged Sophia toward the fitting room where he helped her escape her lace hell.

"What _happened,_ Soph?" Kurt asked under his breath. "Your style is usually impeccable; that monstrosity couldn't have been your idea."

Sophia huffed. "Combine Rachel and my _mother,_ and you're basically screwed. I've been begging for a strapless for an hour!"

Kurt nodded sympathetically. He heard a knocking on the door, and assuming it was Stephanie, cracked it open.

He found Gloria Anderson on the other side.

"Uh...hi, Mrs. Anderson," he managed. Gloria smiled weakly.

"Hi there Kurt, it's nice to see you again. Would you mind giving me and my daughter a minute?" She asked, and Kurt simply nodded. With a backward glance, he shuffled onto the sales floor and sat down on the couch next to Rachel.

"I wouldn't have put her in a reindeer gown, Kurt! Her wedding isn't even in winter!"

Kurt laughed lightly. "Oh, Rachel, you are certainly one of a kind, aren't you?"

"I am, Kurt. And that's what's going to propel my career and land me one of my dream roles on Broadway, while you run around in all-black backstage!"

Kurt gasped. "That's a terrible thing to say, Rachel. Being envious of my talent is one thing, but insulting it to mask that jealousy is a whole 'nother matter. Besides, you don't think I have dreams of grandeur, too? I plan being far from this cow town this time next year, too."

"Columbus doesn't count as far, Kurt," Rachel shot back with a smirk.

"OSU? You think I dream about OSU? I don't even think my dad hopes I go to OSU, and it's his alma mater! Please, Rachel, that great white way you're flirting with? It's cheating on you with me."

"But what about Blaine?" Rachel asked.

"You think I'd leave him?" Kurt replied. "He doesn't really have a set in stone dream like I do, he just wants to do music education. Naturally, I'll have to find a job that actually pays the bills once we find our adorable apartment together, but..."

They didn't notice that Sophia and Gloria had emerged from the fitting room.

"So you and Blaine are coming to New York next year too?"

"If all goes according to plan. I have my heart set and since Blaine doesn't have the same _connection_ with a place like I do with New York..."

"Dun, dun, duh-dun..." they heard Gloria murmuring. The two put their conversation on hold to look and see Sophia.

The first thing Kurt noticed was the way the white material showed off her tiny waist, nipping in with intricate tucks and pulls. There was elegant beading along the slight sweetheart neckline of the strapless gown. It hit the floor with a tiny train, and as she spun around Kurt saw the corset back and bow,

When their eyes locked, Kurt saw a tear fall from her beautiful hazel eyes.

"This is the one." he stated, and the other women nodded simultaneously.

True to her habit of being a perfect bride, the gown didn't need one stitch of alteration. Gloria unhesitatingly handed over her credit card in exchange for a box of tissues, which she passed around. They made an appointment to come back and pick out a veil, shoes, and jewelry before Sophia parted with her dress. Since they'd need it to try on everything else, it made more sense to leave it behind; besides, she didn't want Sean to catch a glimpse. Walking out to their cars, Kurt and Rachel decided to go to the Lima Bean to show Blaine pictures of his sister in her wedding dress.

When they entered the coffee shop chattering amicably, Blaine had to do a double take. But he recovered quickly, flailing over seeing his sister in her amazing white dress. He made them a round of drinks and glanced at the clock. He still had an hour to go, and the shop was bustling with thirsty shoppers. Kurt and Rachel snagged cozy armchairs in the corner and waited for Blaine, discussing perfect casts for their favorite musicals and dream apartment locations.

While he cleaned up the countertop, Blaine couldn't help but smile. He was so happy that Kurt and Rachel were finally starting to get along. He had no idea what exactly they were gabbing about, but by Rachel's over-emphasized expressions, Blaine had a feeling Broadway was involved.

Rachel had known since probably before she was born what she wanted to do. She had her three dream roles, life plan, and career goals mapped out in the sparkly pink planner hidden in her second desk drawer. For Blaine, seeing Rachel's detailed outlook on her future had been a little bit paralyzing. He'd finally figured out music was his dream and that he loved to help people and work with children, so he'd settled on music education. A wide range of schools offered that, so he was lucky. He wouldn't be pigeonholed into New York like Rachel was. But at the same time, Rachel loved knowing every step of what lied ahead. Blaine, on the other hand, loved the uncertainty. He had dream schools too, and he'd definitely daydreamed about his future. But for Blaine, his present was too perfect to ever think about leaving it behind.

When the timer on the latte machine dinged, Blaine realized it was five o'clock. Untying his apron, he made his way to his boyfriend and best friend. They all agreed on a quick dinner at Panera before Rachel had to drive back to Lima. Kurt, on the other hand, would be Blaine's for the entire evening.

They settled down into their pajamas and Kurt ducked under the cozy warmth of Blaine's comforter as his boyfriend set up 10 Things I Hate About You on his tv. He set the remote down on his nightstand, resting his head on Kurt's cotton-covered chest.

"Ten things I hate about you? Let me see..." Kurt teased. "Definitely when you snuggle against me. Oh, and when you kiss me." Blaine laughed and pecked him on the nose.

"I love you, silly," Kurt said, squeezing Blaine in tighter.

"Love you more," Blaine answered. Kurt responded by tickling his sides.

"Now you know that's a lie, baby, because I love _you_ more," Kurt shot back, before groaning. "Are we really having a love-you-more battle right now? God, we're married."

Blaine laughed, tingling slightly at the m-word. "How about this? I love you _forever,_ Kurt."

Kurt nodded. "Forever sounds nice."

With another quick kiss, the two held each other close and watched their movie, falling asleep in each other's arms.

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><p>It had been two weeks since Blaine and Kurt had made their college lists. Two grueling weeks spent filling out applications, writing essays, getting together portfolios. Two long weeks. It was October, and Blaine felt like all he and Kurt had done since the night they made these lists was go to Warbler practice and work on college essays. He, for one, couldn't wait to be finished with it all. Blaine found himself sitting at his computer one Thursday night working on his UCLA application. He had been struggling with what to do about UCLA and it took him over a week and a half to finally come to a decision. He was planning on applying there for Early Action. He would find out by December if he was accepted and would tell Kurt then. Early Action wasn't binding like Early Decision, but this way he'd have plenty of time to figure out what he was going to do. If he didn't get accepted than there was no real reason to tell Kurt. It was only two months. There was no using starting something big over this if he didn't even get in, right? That's what he was telling himself anyway. He had hoped he was making the right decision. There was a light knock at the door, which effectively pulled him from his thoughts. He quickly minimized the screen as Kurt walked through the door.<p>

"Hey," Kurt greeted, visibly exhausted. "I just got done my meeting with David and Thad. Those two are practically useless, I swear." Kurt flopped face first onto Blaine's bed and Blaine shut his laptop and moved over to lay with him.

"I'm sure they just aren't used to you and your fabulousness," Blaine replied, rubbing Kurt's shoulders through his blazer.

"Here, turn around so we can take this blazer off of you. You'll be much more comfortable." Kurt hummed in agreement and flipped his body over, but making no moves to take the blazer off himself. Blaine sighed and undid the buttons for his boyfriend and pushed the jacket over his shoulders.

"A little help would probably help this process out, darling." Blaine stated in mock annoyance. Kurt finally opened his eyes with a smirk on his face before sitting up and shrugging out of the aforementioned blazer.

"Better, right?" Blaine asked as the two flopped back down onto Blaine's pillows, cuddling close.

"Mmm, much." Kurt replied, lying his head on Blaine's chest, the steady breathing effectively calming him down and putting him to sleep.

They stayed like that for a while, Blaine carding his fingers through Kurt's hair, Kurt snoring softly in his sleep. Finally, Blaine glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost nine. He knew that Kurt had promised Finn some quality brother-bonding time.

"Hey babe," Blaine whispered.

"Mmm, what? So sleepy Blaine." Kurt responded, shifting closer and nuzzling into Blaine's neck.

"I know Kurt, but it's almost nine and you promised Finn you'd sleep in your room tonight so you guys could hang out." Blaine's hand left Kurt's hair and moved its way down to his lower back rubbing circles, waiting for Kurt to wake up.

After a few minutes, Kurt's eyes opened and he placed a soft kiss to the side of Blaine's neck. Blaine hummed in response.

"I guess you're right, I should go." Kurt replied, looking up at Blaine with a pouty expression. "It just stinks. We almost always sleep together. It's practically the only time we ever get to spend together lately."

Blaine nodded, "I know, but I have one more application to send out and then I'm all done. I'll have a lot more free time. And you're almost done, right? You finished your applications last week and all you had left was to send out your portfolio. It'll get better soon."

Kurt nodded and sat up, "I guess you're right."

"I know I am." Blaine stated, grinning widely for effect.

Kurt grabbed the pillow next to him and slapped his cocky boyfriend in the face.

Blaine laughed as the pillow fell to the floor before grabbing Kurt and pulling him into a passionate kiss. Kurt bit down on Blaine's lip and Blaine moaned at the feeling before opening his mouth and granting Kurt's tongue access. They continued making out lazily like that for a while before Kurt finally pulled away to catch his breath.

"I really do need to go." Blaine leaned in for one more sweet kiss.

"Goodnight, Kurt." Blaine whispered onto his boyfriend's lips as he pulled away slowly.

"Goodnight, Blaine." Kurt replied, slowly getting up from his spot on the bed and grabbing his blazer.

He left the room and trudged down the hallway to his own where he already could hear Finn screaming at his video games. Rolling his eyes, he stopped at the door readying himself for whatever Finn had in store for him.

Blaine clambered out of bed shortly after Kurt left and walked back over to his desk. Opening his laptop, he maximized the UCLA application window. Glancing over his application one more time to make sure he wasn't missing anything he clicked forward to the payment page and entered in all his required information.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, he clicked send.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Yes, it's been a while. Really sorry, we've been so busy. I(Caitlyn) have been in a really awful funk and writers block lately, but hopefully we're back on track! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Sigh, same as always.**

**Read, review, enjoy! :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Blaine was at the mall with Rachel one Thursday afternoon right before his and Kurt's one year anniversary. He had known for a while what he was going to get his boyfriend, and it was finally ready to be picked up after about a month of waiting. They walked, arms linked, into the mall discussing what was planned for the celebration.

"Kurt refuses to tell me what we're doing. He says that I've planned and done so much for him over the past year that it's his turn to give me this in return. He says he has the whole day figured out and I'm not allowed to guess or lift a finger. I'm kind of nervous, actually." Blaine commented as the two strolled into H&M to look for an appropriate outfit for the big day.

"I think that whatever he has arranged will be magnificent, Blaine. I mean, it's Kurt Hummel. I'm sure it's going to be something ridiculous and extravagant and utterly, completely perfect." Rachel replied, picking up a shirt for Blaine to look at.

Blaine shook his head and she put the shirt back on the rack. "I know it's going to be perfect. That's what I'm worried about. I just feel like I'm never going to be able to live up to whatever he's done." Blaine worried his bottom lip and continued to browse the racks.

After about an hour of shopping and finding nothing that appealed to him, Blaine decided he'd find something at home to wear and they made their way to the jewelry store to pick up Kurt's gift.

* * *

><p>Blaine awoke on Saturday morning hugging...emptiness. The space where Kurt had been laying when he closed his eyes was significantly cooler than his own, telling him his boyfriend had been gone for a while. Frowning slightly, he rolled out of bed and pulled on sweats and a t-shirt and made his way into the bathroom. No Kurt there, either. <em>Odd, <em>Blaine thought as he grabbed his towel off the hook and made his way into the shower. He knew that Kurt had a busy day planned for them and probably got up early to get himself ready for the day. It just wasn't like him to not say goodbye.

He walked out of the shower, toweling his curly hair as he went to the closet to pull out his outfit for the day: a purple button-down shirt and Kurt's favorite cuffed jeans. He smiled to himself as he got dressed for the day, and almost didn't notice the flower sitting on his pillow. Walking over to the bed, he picked up the flower, dead but perfectly pressed and preserved, reading the note taped to it.

"Sorry I left before you got up, I had to get our day sorted. Come down to the Senior Commons room when you're ready. Bring your coat and scarf! xoxo Kurt." Blaine couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He always loved when Kurt planned out little scavenger hunts for him. He held the flower to his chest and tried to place the meaning of it, but couldn't, though he was sure that there had to be a reason. Why else would Kurt press a single daisy? He grabbed his peacoat and matching scarf and made his way out of the dormitory hall.

Blaine walked into the Senior Commons to find it completely empty. He looked over to the table and there was two breakfast plates set up, filled with eggs, bacon, and toast. His stomach gave an unattractive grumble as he got closer to the food. Looking around for his elusive boyfriend he pulled out the chair and sat down, reaching in his pocket for his phone. Before he got a chance to dial Kurt, two arms slipped around his neck from behind.

"Happy anniversary, Blaine Anderson." Kurt whispered into his ear before pressing a light kiss to his neck. Blaine grinned as Kurt tightened his hold around his neck, squeezing briefly before letting go and making his way to the empty seat across from Blaine.

"Hello to you, too." Blaine smiled as he picked up his fork and began digging into his eggs. "Thank you for breakfast by the way, this is perfect, Kurt."

Kurt nodded and smiled and began eating his breakfast as well. The two ate in silence for a little before Kurt noticed that Blaine had brought down the flower from his bed.

"You brought the flower with you?"

"Yes, I figured it was an important part of the day so I thought I'd bring it with me." Blaine replied, reaching over and grabbing Kurt's hand.

Squeezing gently, he let it go to take a sip from his orange juice when his eye caught the napkin underneath the glass, emblazoned with the Breadstix logo.

"Breadstix napkin?" Blaine questioned and Kurt just nodded and smiled.

"Come on, time to finish up. Grab your napkin, flower, and let's go. I have the rest of the day planned!" Blaine was slightly confused but kept his mouth shut. Pulling on his coat, he carefully slipped the napkin and flower into his breast pocket. Kurt stood waiting and smiling. Suddenly overcome with love for his boyfriend, Blaine stuck his hand out and Kurt took it silently. Blaine pulled his boyfriend in so they were chest to chest and leaned in to kiss Kurt, full of love and passion. Blaine sucked Kurt's lip in between his own before pulling away and smiling wryly.

"I almost forgot; Happy Anniversary, Kurt." Kurt grinned, full of teeth and leaned in for another chaste kiss.

"Come on," he whispered on Blaine's lips, "I really do have plans."

"Then lead the way, good sir." Blaine gestured with his arm and Kurt just laughed and grabbed Blaine's hand as they made their way out to the parking lot.

"Ice skating?" Blaine exclaimed, more than excited, remembering how much fun they had last time.

"Well how could I forget how much you loved it, silly?" Kurt smiled as he rented the two of them skates. "Unfortunately, I couldn't sneak your skates out of your room in time, so you'll have to deal with these." Blaine just shook his head and smiled.

"I love you, Kurt Hummel." He smiled, kissing Kurt's cheek before pulling away and plopping on the bench to put on his skates.

The two skated hand in hand and enjoyed the gorgeous day. They shared hot chocolate on an empty bench and stole kisses when nobody else was looking. It was a perfect day. They were both so happy and in love and Blaine still couldn't get over the fact that his boy was his, had been his for the last year.

After their ice skating journey, Kurt took Blaine out to dinner to a little restaurant outside of Westerville. They ate slowly, enjoying their time together. Admittedly, over the last few weeks it hadn't been easy to get alone time. Between colleges and Finn and hanging out with their friends, they were just so busy. Here they were at this cute little restaurant and everything was perfect. Blaine hadn't been this happy in such a long time and the night wasn't even close to being over yet.

Once the two boys were settled back in Kurt's Navigator, Blaine turned to look at Kurt.

"Thank you so much for today, Kurt. It was perfect, really." Kurt smiled and leaned over the console to press a kiss to Blaine's lips.

"You're very welcome. It was kind of perfect, wasn't it?" Blaine nodded and smiled, leaning his forehead against Kurt's. Kurt pressed another quick kiss to the corner of Blaine's mouth before pulling away.

"Let's go home, shall we?"

The two boys made their way into their residence hall and up the stairs to Blaine's room. When they walked in, Kurt opened up his messenger bag and pulled out two things. One appeared to be a ticket stub, and the other a small jar of sand and seashells. Blaine was taking off his coat and getting situated when Kurt placed both items onto the bed.

"Come sit. I have to show you these things." Blaine looked curious and sat against the headboard, waiting for Kurt to start speaking.

"Do you know how earlier today I had you save the flower and the napkin?" Blaine just nodded and Kurt continued. "Well, I don't know if you caught the meaning behind the two of those things, but there is a reason. I know it may be corny or whatever, but ever since our first date at Breadstix, I've been saving little mementos. The Breadstix napkin was the actual napkin from our first date, and the daisy I pressed and left on your pillow was from the restaurant in Columbus; the night when you first asked me out." Blaine was full on grinning now, but remained silent.

"This," Kurt continued, picking up the ticket stub, "this is from when we went to go see Rocky Horror. It was also the night of our first kiss. And then we have the jar of seashells, which I hope is fairly obvious." Kurt blushed slightly, and Blaine chuckled.

"The point is, I saved all these things as reminders. Reminders of where we started. Reminders of how much I love you. Reminders of how much more we have to experience." Kurt finished, and Blaine practically jumped across the bed and surged his mouth to Kurt's in a heated, sizzling kiss. Blaine immediately stuck his tongue into Kurt's mouth, earning a guttural moan from the boy underneath him. They kissed hot and wet for a long time before Blaine pulled away, trying to catch his breath. Dropping his head into the crook of Kurt's neck, he finally regained coherent thought.

"I just, I love you so much, Kurt. I hope you know that. Today was amazing. All this stuff you saved, and everything you told me, it just solidified my love for you. It just makes me so _happy_ that I can call you my own and experience life with you. Because that's what I want, Kurt. I want to experience life with you. My whole life. Forever." Blaine sat up and reached into his pocket to pull out the tiny box that had taken residence there all night.

"Blaine.." Kurt began cautiously, "Blaine, this sounds awfully like a proposal."

Blaine's eyes grew wide and immediately he started backtracking. "No, no. This isn't a proposal Kurt, oh my god. Not that I don't want to marry you, because god, I do. I really, really do. But not right now. I think we can both agree that after a year together it's just not time. I mean we're only seniors in high school." Blaine rambled and Kurt put a finger over his lips to quiet him.

"I get it, Blaine. Please, open the box. I'm dying in anticipation over here." Kurt smiled and removed his finger from Blaine's mouth, who smiled sheepishly and opened the box slowly.

"Blaine, oh my god, it's beautiful." Kurt whispered, looking down into the box where there was a beautiful ring with a topaz stone situated in the center. The ring itself was a gorgeous silver with intricate vine-like detailing. Kurt was breathless.

"Every since you gave me my ring on my birthday last summer," Blaine started, and Kurt looked up at his face, both of them welling up with tears, "I had this idea to get the same thing for you. Whenever we're busy or lonely or fighting I always look down at the ring you gave me and I think of you. I think of you and your brilliant blue eyes and I think of how much I love you. I want you to be able to do the same thing. I want this ring to remind you of me, Kurt. Even when I can't be there, even when we're both being stubborn." Kurt smiled, really smiled, tears streaming down his face, and Blaine knew that he got this right.

"Blaine, this is beautiful. Oh my god, I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Blaine laughed as Kurt let out a shaky breath and hesitantly reached into the box to take the ring out. He slipped it on his slender ring finger.

"It's perfect," Kurt commented, "It's perfect. Like you."

Blaine leaned over and kissed him soundly. "Like us."

That night, the two of them made love, and as Blaine leaned down over Kurt to press a kiss to his temple before the haze of their impending orgasms overcame both of them, their fingers slotted perfectly together with the soft clank of metal where their rings touched. Afterward, they held each other, limbs intertwined in comfortable silence, taking a moment to steal a kiss now and then.

Blaine fell asleep first, Kurt grinning as he saw the boy next to him slip away.

Kurt grinned as he watched Blaine drift asleep. Looking down at his body, he knew he wouldn't be able to join his boyfriend in slumber until he cleaned off at least a little bit, so he trudged off to the bathroom. After washing his face and chest quickly, he smiled at his reflection. He realized, in that second, that he was completely happy-and not just because of what had just happened on Blaine's bed. He had his boyfriend and for the past year, they had managed to become a perfect couple. Other than a few minor snags, their relationship was everything Kurt had ever dreamed of. He reminisced for a few more minutes, playing absently with the ring situated on his finger, before hitting the light and tiptoeing back to the bedroom.

It was impossible to see in the dark room, but Kurt was determined to not wake Blaine back up. Stumbling across the wood, he accidentally knocked his hand into Blaine's mouse, causing the display to light up. Wincing, Kurt hurriedly tried to lower the brightness, but Blaine's Dell shortcuts were _nothing_ like his Mac's. Luckily his boyfriend slept like a rock, Kurt mused as he struggled to figure out how to put the computer back asleep. Finally finding the right menu, Kurt dragged the cursor across the screen, realizing there was an internet window open.

Kurt never considered himself to be a snoop, but with Blaine snoring behind him, he figured he could use this to his advantage. Opening up Blaine's history, Kurt decided to browse around and maybe get a few early Christmas ideas. After all, Black Friday was just around the corner.

Checking Blaine's favorites next, Kurt snickered at the amount of bow-tie pictures his boyfriend had stashed in the folder. Moving the mouse to open one, Kurt accidentally clicked the bookmark for Blaine's Dalton email, which automatically logged him in and brought him to the inbox, which had a new message waiting.

With a reflex Kurt didn't realize he had, his eyes locked on the new message. Checking the subject, which read "Your application has been received!" Kurt moved to close out the window and go back to finding a Christmas gift for Blaine. It wasn't until he was hovering the red button that curiosity overcame him and he glanced back to see which college had responded to his boyfriend, considering he'd received all his confirmations already. His eyes widened as they read "**UCLA Admissions**" over and over again.

He heard Blaine stirring behind him, but his eyes were glued to the screen. He felt hands slide across his naked shoulders and chest, felt his boyfriend's warm torso pressed against his own bare skin. The gentle touch of lips to his neck, a hot breath ghosting in his ear, a nip at his earlobe-nothing Blaine did garnered a reaction from Kurt.

It wasn't until he heard Blaine softly ask "What are you doing, babe?" that Kurt managed to drag his eyes away from the screen. When they met Blaine's, they were filled with confusion and betrayal.

"You applied to UCLA without telling me?" Kurt said quietly, trying to keep his voice even. He didn't miss the quick swallow of his boyfriend's throat as he combed his messy curls with his fingers, trying to keep his cool.

"You went through my email?" Blaine finally answered.

"I washed up in the bathroom and went on your computer after, Blaine, and the page popped up. But you didn't answer my question," Kurt replied coolly.

Blaine huffed. "Yes, Kurt, I applied to UCLA."

"Blaine, that's in California."

"Yes."

"I thought we'd decided to go away to the East Coast together? New York, Boston? You know how much Manhattan means to me, how badly I need it."

"Well, Kurt, what matters more? Being with me or being in New York?"

Even in the darkness, Blaine saw Kurt's eyes flash with the hint of tears and knew he'd gone too far, even if Kurt had crossed a line by opening his inbox.

"Baby, don't answer that, I'm sorry."

"But, Blaine," Kurt exhaled. "The whole point of us sitting down together is so I could have both. So we could have both." Kurt sighed heavily, "Just...why did you apply to a school in California?"

Blaine sighed.

"Ask my sister, my mom: ever since I was little, I had this big pipe dream of going to school in California. When Sophia was doing college stuff, I started going through it with her, and I stumbled across UCLA. I don't know why, it just kind of sucked me in. At the time, my life was just me and Rachel; I wasn't performing, I didn't have other friends. I wanted an escape; I was dying to get away. Then I found music and figured being in Los Angeles wouldn't hurt that career should I ever choose to follow it.

"You and Rachel are a lot alike with your skyscraper-sized dreams and _plans. _God, nothing I had ever compared to that, except this thought—this dream- that one day I'd be out in California, away from this **hell** that had sort of built up around me like a cage, this cage I needed to break out of.

"But then-then I met you, Kurt. And you just exude talent and brilliance and I know you're going to be magic. When I'm with you, I can see an apartment with framed pictures on the walls and fighting over whose turn it is to do the dishes and I just-it's so _comfortable, _so perfect. It's something I never thought I'd get to have. And I want it, I want it so bad. But this UCLA idea, it's been my dream for _so long._ I don't know if it's just because I didn't have anyone else to plan my life around or any reason to end up anywhere else, but it always seemed like it'd be in the cards for me.

"But now, I want to be with you, Kurt, I do, more than you can imagine. This California dream, I just couldn't let it go though. And when we were picking out schools, I could see myself at each of them, but only if I was _with you. _When I explained all that to Sophia, she told me that she thought I should still apply to UCLA. She hadn't heard me shut up about it for _years_, she didn't want me to abandon it.

"So I spent the half an hour filling out the form and sending it in. To see if my crazy ambition could actually happen. I'm not saying that if I get in I'd definitely go, because I love the schools on the East Coast too, and I couldn't imagine being thousands of miles away from you. We could barely manage being a few _hours_ away. I want forever with you Kurt, I do. I meant every word I said to you before, and I know you feel that way too. I just had to see if I'd even get accepted-I knew that if I didn't apply, I'd spend the rest of my life wondering if I could have had my dream."

Blaine finally finished, looking up at his boyfriend. His fingers intertwined with Kurt's slender pale ones as he watched a lone tear drop. Kissing the wet spot on his cheek, Blaine offered a smile in Kurt's direction.

Kurt nodded back silently, leaning in to kiss Blaine.

"You know I love you, right?" Kurt said. Blaine nodded, pulling Kurt into a standing position. Reaching to close the laptop behind them, Blaine led Kurt toward his bed again, laying him down. Sliding behind him, Blaine became the big spoon, wrapping his arms around Kurt.

"I love you too, Kurt. And who knows, I probably won't even get accepted."

Kurt sighed. "You're so silly. You're amazing, you're definitely going to get in. And I want you to get in, it's your dream. It's just-"

Blaine waited in the silence after Kurt trailed off.

"What, baby?" he prompted after a minute or so.

"A long distance relationship between Boston and New York is one thing, baby. We'd still get to see each other relatively easily and cheaply. I don't know how long distance between California and New York would work. If you'd told me you had this idea, I could have maybe applied to a fashion institute in Los Angeles. It wouldn't be Parson's or FIT but it would have worked."

"Well," Blaine began. "I wouldn't want you to turn your back on _your_ dream to follow me to California, Kurt, just like I hope you don't want me to abandon mine. Besides, it's November. I'm not going to even know if I'm into UCLA for a while. We have plenty of time."

"Blaine," Kurt murmured, "All the time in the world wouldn't change my mind about long-distance. I just don't think it works." Lifting Blaine's hand to his lips, he kissed it as he drifted off to sleep.

Blaine stayed awake a few minutes longer, thinking over the conversation they'd just had.

Would he end up having to choose between his dream and Kurt?

And ultimately, what would he choose?


	5. Chapter 5

**So..you're going to want to read the A/N at the bottom. Just a heads up. **

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Thanksgiving and Black Friday came and went in a flurry of food, family, and shopping. The two boys hadn't spoken about UCLA since the night Kurt found the email. It was the second week in December when Blaine got the letter. UCLA was the only school he applied to Early Action. Grabbing the package out of his Dalton mailbox he took out his phone and took a deep breath. No more secrets, he told himself as he started dialing Kurt's number.

"Hey you." Kurt answered, the sound of Finn playing video games in the background.

"Hey, I uh, got my letter from UCLA.." Blaine started, afraid of how Kurt would react.

"Oh." was the only response he got from his boyfriend.

"I know you're not happy about this, but I promised no more secrets. I haven't opened it yet and I would really like it if you were there when I did. Will you meet me in my room. Please?" Blaine asked cautiously. He really couldn't do this alone.

"Blaine, of course." Kurt replied, his tone softening just a bit at the sound of Blaine's anxious tone. "I'll be there in a little bit, okay?"

"Okay I'm almost there so whenever. Thank you, Kurt."

"You're very welcome. Oh, and Blaine?"

"Yeah?" Blaine asked as he plopped down on his bed staring at the letter.

"I love you." Kurt answered, smile evident in his voice. Blaine let out a deep breath.

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>"Wow, so you got in. This is good, right?" Kurt asked hesitantly from his perch on Blaine's desk chair.<p>

"Yeah, I mean it's good, I think?" Blaine ran his hands through his hair, letting out a huff of air. He had no idea how to respond. Truthfully, he was more confused than ever. This was UCLA, California, his dream. But one look at Kurt had him confused. He could clearly see the smile his boyfriend was fronting with. The smile that wasn't reaching his eyes. They sat there in silence for a long time before Kurt finally spoke up.

"I think you should go visit."

"I-what?" Blaine was stunned. What was Kurt even talking about.

"I think you should go visit." he repeated. "I think that you need to be able to make an informed decision. I think that I'd be selfish if I didn't suggest it. But Blaine, you should know that this doesn't change anything. You should know that I stand by what I said last month- I don't believe in long distance relationships. If this is what you want, then I'll respect it, if you're really sure. I don't want to hold you back from your dreams. I would never forgive myself if I forced you to New York with me, knowing that there was a huge 'what-if' hanging in the back of your mind. So I think you should go visit."

Blaine felt his eyes pooling with tears as Kurt's voice broke on the last couple words. Chancing a glance over to Kurt, he finally spoke.

"But if I decide to go to California, that means-"

"It means we'd have to break up. I won't subject either one of us to the distance. It's just something I'm asking you to respect. I'll respect your decision about going there if you respect mine, okay?" A single tear escaped and ran down Blaine's cheek as he numbly nodded his reply. Kurt sighed and reached over to wipe the tear away.

"I'm gonna go. I promised Finn I'd play Call of Duty with him. I don't know why, but I did." Blaine let out a watery chuckle.

"You'll be back later?" he asked, nervously, not meeting Kurt's eyes.

Kurt smiled softly, tipping Blaine's chin up to make eye contact with him.

"I'll be back later." Kurt confirmed, leaning over and kissing his boyfriend soundly on the lips. "I love you, Blaine Anderson," he whispered before standing up and retreating down the hall to his own room.

Blaine sighed and let a few more tears escape before picking up his phone to call his phone to call Sophia.

Needless to say, Sophia was ecstatic about the news. She had been looking for flights online before Blaine even got off the phone with her. Once he had hung up, he threw his phone on the floor and buried his face in his pillow, letting his thoughts and worries consume him entirely.

* * *

><p>Kurt and Blaine had decided not to make a big deal of this Christmas. They exchanged a few gifts: a scarf and wallet for Kurt, some clothes for Blaine. After their anniversary festivities, a quiet dinner a few days before the holiday was enough for them. Blaine did, however spend the evening of the twenty-third with the Hudmels before being whisked back to Lima with Sophia for Christmas Eve and Day.<p>

Surprisingly, Christmas wasn't too painful for Blaine. His parents were excited to see their son accepted to UCLA and supported his visit with Sophia. Luckily for Blaine, they spent the majority of the trip grilling his sister about her wedding, and he was able to text Kurt a decent amount. The Anderson siblings were only spending one night in Lima. With their departure late-afternoon on Boxing Day, Sophia had convinced them they needed the full day to pack and prepare. For the elder Anderson, that meant one last night with her fiancée. As for Blaine...

"Hey, Soph?" he glanced across the center console, "Would you mind dropping me at Kurt's?"

Though Blaine was staying in Sophia and Sean's new apartment for the break, he'd only spent a few nights there in the week or so he'd been off. While he loved his sister and his soon to be brother-in-law, he wanted to give then their space. He also wanted to see his boyfriend as much as possible before he left.

He knew Kurt was unsure about him leaving, he knew how much of a struggle long-distance could be. Blaine didn't want anything to strain their relationship, either. But as he had told Kurt, he couldn't fight his dream.

Wandering into the Hudmel house, he found the downstairs mostly dark. Kurt met him on the staircase, hand outstretched.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

"Burt and Carole were bringing Finn down to Lima to spend a few days with Rachel, and they ended up blowing out a tire. Of course, they had driven Finn's car, and after the last time, he forgot to replace his spare, so they're going to crash in the Berry's guest room tonight."

Blaine nodded. "So, we're all alone here?"

Kurt grinned. "Indeed. But don't get any ideas, mister. I've got a reputation to uphold."

With a wink, he towed his boyfriend up the stairs.

They drove back to Sophia's early the next morning, making sure to stop at the Lima Bean to soothe Blaine's grumbles. Kurt helped his boyfriend pack, and with Sean jingling keys, the four made their way to the airport.

Kurt and Blaine were fairly quiet during the ride, though Sophia and Sean made up for it with their endless chatter. The backseat was a tangle of arms and torso, Kurt and Blaine wrapped up in each other, silently wishing this separation wouldn't happen. He worked his fingers through Blaine's curly locks, hoping he'd get to repeat the motion before long.

Blaine and Sophia were slated to return to Westerville late on the afternoon of the first. Kurt loathed the idea of being alone on New Years. Finn and Rachel were spending it with her friends in Lima, his parents at a dinner-party. The Warblers were all congregating at Jeff's, but Kurt had declined.

When he wanted to throw a pity party, he did it en vogue with everything else he did: over the top and perfectly dramatic. He had planned a night in for himself with movies, face masks, and zero-calorie sparkling cider.

Sean parked the car in the short-term lot, and the group headed toward the ticket booth, then the gate.

Sean and Sophia embraced tightly. True to her typical fashion, Sophia was crying. Blaine turned toward Kurt, pulling him into a corner of the waiting area that was miraculously empty and they seemed to be saved from hordes of holiday travelers.

Kurt sighed. He reached out and touched Blaine's cheek, fingers brushing the barely-there scruff along his jawline.

"I don't want to leave you here," Blaine said. "Sure you can't come?"

Kurt laughed. "California sun on _this_ skin? I'll be more wrinkly than one of Finn's old shirts. Besides," he said, his tone turning serious, "This will have to be something you experience on your own. You'll never know if this is really your dream if I'm following you around and clouding your vision."

Blaine nodded. His hands tightened on Kurt's, moving in close to eliminate the space between them.

A middle-aged woman walked past them, rolling her eyes and making a tutting noise.

Kurt answered her with a bitch glare, rolling his own beautiful blues expertly. Sealing his lips to Blaine's, he let out a little squeal as his boyfriend's tongue made its way into his mouth. Sucking on it lightly, Kurt welcomed the tightening of Blaine's arms around him, probably creating a display that was a little less than PG.

When they separated breathlessly a few minutes later, the offended woman was long gone and Blaine's eyes were darkening. Kurt giggled.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you, Blaine Anderson," he cooed, pressing their lips together for a far more appropriate goodbye. They made their way back to Sophia and Sean, who were locked into their own long kiss.

"Apparently, PDA runs in the Anderson blood. Though I'd pass on watching Mom and Dad get it on," Blaine smirked, watching the couple pull apart with love in their eyes. One last peck between each of the couples, and Blaine and Sophia were headed out to the security check.

Kurt swayed on the spot, watching Blaine blow a kiss and mouth goodbye. He returned the gesture, whispering slowly, "I'll never say goodbye to you."

* * *

><p>Kurt slumped around the house a few days after Christmas. He knew he was being irrational. He was the one who insisted Blaine go visit UCLA. He was the one who pushed Blaine to follow his dreams.<p>

_To break my heart,_ Kurt thought bitterly. Then he sighed. If he couldn't handle Blaine being gone for a few days, how on Earth would he survive a semester? A year, four years, grad school?

He was getting completely ahead of himself. Less than a week ago, he had stood alongside Sean and watched Blaine and Sophia head out to California. He'd managed to make it all the way home before he broke down. It wasn't like the summer when they'd only been a few hours apart; Kurt would easily face the wrath of Thomas Anderson encountering them mid-blow-job over this separation.

Kurt didn't want to lose Blaine, not in the slightest. But he couldn't help this feeling that losing him, letting go, a clean break, might be easier than waiting for the longing to end.

He couldn't handle Blaine leaving him, he couldn't handle being left behind. Yet he knew exactly what his future consisted of, and it wasn't UCLA, OSU, Westerville or Lima. It was New York. It was design school. It was bustle, pollution, cold weather and Broadway within walking distance. It was having his dream within his grasp, and working everyday toward achieving it.

But he was a rational person. He didn't expect Blaine to give up his dream, either.

He wanted to be happy. He wanted Blaine to be happy. And most importantly, he wanted Blaine. He loved his boyfriend too much to lose him. The last thing Kurt wanted was to let him go. But he couldn't live in this constant state of uncertainty anymore.

He fiddled with his ring.

It wasn't just the distance and not seeing each other that he wouldn't be able to handle. It would be fear of someone swooping in, missing the gentle touch of Blaine's hands on his skin, the way his hazel eyes could read him in a second. It would be mornings without nonfat mochas and waking up to love in the bed beside him, the loss of his duet partner, best friend, and soulmate**.**

He was finally at a point in his life when the world was looking up for him, and he was about to lose it all. Whoever was running the universe clearly had it out for him.

As if on cue, his phone rang. Glancing down at the screen, he exhaled slowly and wiped away the trickle he hadn't felt drop from his eye. Then he slid the unlock button and said hello to his boyfriend.

He listened as Blaine talked about touring the education department, seeing the Hollywood sign with Sophia, and how he swore he gave fashion advice to Ryan Reynolds at the GAP near Rodeo Drive. They were debating whether Ryan would actually wear pre-washed cotton when Kurt heard a murmur in the background.

"Oh, say hi to Sophia for me!" Kurt squealed. It had been a few days since he'd spoken to his favorite bride-to-be. Blaine's hesitation was palpable, even from hundreds of miles away. The decidedly male voice muttered again.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, so many different questions at once.

"Sorry babe, I'm not with Sophia, I'm at this thing for potential new students. It's a little crazy here. I gotta go though, okay? I love you!"

Kurt let out a breath, realizing he'd forgotten how to breathe for a few seconds.

"I love you too," he whispered, twisting the silver on his finger. After promises to talk that night, he hung up and continued his moping.

It bothered him how scared he got after hearing a man's voice in the background, a man that could have been someone's father, a professor, a janitor walking by. He trusted Blaine entirely, he just didn't trust anyone else. And he didn't trust himself to not become a jealous wreck.

* * *

><p>Blaine whipped around after hanging up the phone, feeling the presence of someone standing behind him. A tall, relatively attractive, brunette male was standing there, hands in his pockets looking at Blaine expectantly.<p>

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your phone call, but the tour is just about to start." Blaine shook his head.

"Oh, no it's-it's not a problem. I was just finishing it up with my, uh, the phone call." Blaine mentally cursed himself. _What was he doing, fumbling over words like this? This wasn't him. _Snapping out of his thoughts, he noticed the man in front of him had offered his hand. Blaine stuck his arm out, placing his hand in the strangers.

"I'm Sebastian. Sebastian Smythe. I'll be your tour guide this afternoon."

* * *

><p><strong>THIS IS IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU KILL US OR STOP READING OR SOMETHING EQUALLY AS TERRIBLE: <strong>

**Okay, okay! I know that you guys (or at least one of you) probably don't want to see Sebastian all up in this fic, but here is the deal: Sebastian is PURELY being used as a face claim. We're writing him so out of character. He's just here so when you're reading you can picture Grant Gustin's lovely face. Don't hate us and PLEASE STICK WITH IT! **

**Besides that, make sure you please come talk to us on tumblr and review and love us down. In case you haven't noticed, the chapters are much more spaced out then WCIC, but real life beckons. xoxox**

**Tumblr: enjaycait / knockalittle-louder**


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